Tuesday, January 13, 2009

(The "Hoe Family" at Boggy Creek urban organic farm in Austin, Texas; from left to right are Half-Moon, Little Half-Moon, Scuffle, Circle, Azadón, Poor Hoe, and Chopper Hoe)

Almost At The End of This Row to Hoe

Hey, ya'll, here's my first open thread.

It's been a GNB doctor day. I'm personally okay but others have been Seeking Medical Attention, which does rather distract one from posting. I myself have been writing my heart out, but not things I can share with you (yet). Yep, that's a teaser.

The local news here in Austin is making a lot of the fact that it's getting down to freezing every night and may go down into the 20s in a day or two. Yet we remain drier than Cheney's cup of humanity. I know that's simply not newsworthy to most of the country, and I guess it's the child-of-farmers in me who likes to actually talk about the weather, so tell me how it's going in your neck of the climate-changing world.

Yesterday I cut up a Vidalia and caramelized it with excessive quantities of garlic and crushed peppercorns in unsalted butter. I added an entire bunch of winter spinach (that dark green which screams vitamins) and let that wilt away to threads, then added a roux and sharp white cheddar. I've been using this to top whole grain pastas, mashed potatoes, and rice. Still have one serving left. Winter comfort food.

It's one week until our long national nightmare is over, as Letterman would say. Are you waiting on pins and needles, or are you too burnt to feel any hope? It seems like almost everybody out there is going through the motions. Good Morning America did an extended segment on whether Michelle Obama should wear a one-strap dress. Yeah, that's the issue we all need to be focusing on, all right.

I keep thinking about a line from an old song we sang when I was young, about a beloved hound dog named Blue:Well, Old Blue died, and he died mighty hardDug little holes all around the yard

This is a perfect description of the mental deterioration dogs undergo when they slowly die of distemper. It also fits what Republicans and capitalist users-and-drainers are currently experiencing, as the end approaches. They are dyin' mighty hard.

Well, now that I've finished my other Big Project (another teaser), I can come back later and write about other questions. But for now, have at it, companeros/as.